Trakia University - Stara Zagora is an autonomous state institution in Bulgaria. The university conducts training in agriculture, veterinary medicine, medicine and other humanity and applied sciences.  There are facilities for training and research either at the well equipped laboratories, experimental base of the University, the clinics of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the University hospital, the regional veterinary-medical centres, the selection centres, stations for artificial insemination, dairy farms, breeding cooperative and private farms. Trakia University is publisher of Trakia Journal of Sciences and Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine. International relations have a special place in the University’s global strategy as they considerably stimulate research, and support and improve the quality of teaching.

The primary research areas of Trakia University – Stara Zagora cover the field of medico-biological sciences and ecology. Interests and qualification of the researchers are in the fields of agriculture, veterinary medicine and medicine and allow conduction of investigations at each level of food chain: from the soil and plants to the consumer.

Specialists of ecology, plant-growing, animal nutrition and dietetics, biochemistry, microbiology and epidemiology, physiology, toxicology and pharmacology, immunology, food hygiene as well as clinicians work on the problems of feed and food safety.

Fundamental and applied scientific investigations on physiological aspects of feeding of newborn animals with colostrum and milk, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of drugs, drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and contamination of food products by microorganisms are implemented with contemporary methodology. Monitoring of drug and toxic residues in food from plant and animal origin, and microbial contamination are within the area of the research.

Investigations of mechanisms of resistance against biocides as disinfectants and antiseptics, food preservatives and sterilizing agents are area for research with aim risk assessment of resistance selection in microbial populations as a result of their usage. Veterinary and medical specialists work on problems of infectious diseases transmitted along the food chain and on socially significant diseases as zoonoses. The final goal is assuring an easy access to safe foods that consumers can trust, which will be reflected in improvement of health status of the consumer.